Music

Austin, Brandon, Edwin, Nick, Zion, collectively known as PRETTYMUCH have returned with their brand new single ‘Lonely’. No word on whether an album will follow, but they did just recently release an EP entitled ‘Smackables’. Be sure to check out the new song and video below. [embedded content] neillfrazer@hotmail.com

When she was a teenager in Kentucky, Carly Pearce liked to pore over the liner notes of her favorite country CDs and study who was involved: the players, producers, and songwriters. She became enamored of composers who, while not exactly household names, penned some of the most enduring hits of the era for Martina McBride,

Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah earned a 2020 Grammy Awards Best American Roots Song nomination for her song “Black Myself,” as originally recorded by Our Native Daughters, a quartet also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell. A newly released solo version, however, offers a different look at the track. “”Black Myself” is the first song I’ve

Thirty-four years ago today, on Feb. 19, 1987, Willie Nelson‘s Red Headed Stranger film premiered in Austin, Texas. The movie, which also starred Morgan Fairchild and Katharine Ross, was based on Nelson’s 1975 album of the same name. In Red Headed Stranger, Nelson plays Rev. Julian Shay, who travels to Montana to preach, along with his wife,

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s private island estate in the Bahamas has gone on the market, and it could be yours — that is, if you’ve got $35 million to spend. The couple bought an island in the Bahamas called L’île d’Anges in 2003, according to Architectural Digest, but they did not move into their home there

Dolly Parton has asked that a bill proposing a statue in her likeness for the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville be dropped. The legislation was introduced in January by Tennessee House member John Windle. “I am honored and humbled by their intention, but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the

Robyn Ottolini‘s acoustic performance of her single “F-150” is daring — especially because the performance puts the singer and her guitarist in the bed of a burning truck! It’s premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play above to watch. The acoustic version of “F-150” strips the song down to how it sounded when Ottolini first

Kelly Clarkson will soon sit down with Dr. Jill Biden at the White House in what will be the first solo TV interview for the esteemed First Lady and longtime educator since her husband, Joe Biden, was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Jan. 20. Clarkson revealed the news on Wednesday (Feb.

Progress often comes when people examine their past actions and make changes based on what they’ve learned more recently. Neither Luke Combs nor Maren Morris contends to be perfect, either in the past or as they’re working to grow into more inclusive individuals, but both artists took a public step in their journeys during an hour-long

Vince Gill weighed in on country music’s history with racism and debuted a new song about the issue during a reported segment on Wednesday’s CBS This Morning. The songwriter also spoke about the Morgan Wallen controversy and threw water on the argument that Wallen’s use of the “n-word” is the same as a rap artist

Troy Cartwright is Berklee trained but Red Dirt raised, and while the Dallas native says he listened close to his college professors, he also never forgot where he came from. When songwriting today, it’s still usually just him and an acoustic guitar, like it’s always been. “I was actually very, very bad at all the musical

Eric Church got out of Nashville — and his comfort zone — to make Heart & Soul, his forthcoming triple album. The country superstar says his goal in creating his latest music was to “make people really uncomfortable.” The decision was a product of the creation of Church’s last album, 2018’s Desperate Man. In a new behind-the-scenes video, the singer

Songwriting legend Harlan Howard once described county music as “three chords and the truth,” a genre that stands strong on a foundation of masterful storytelling. And what better to enhance a well-written song than a powerful music video? Triumphant, despairing or sorrowful, country music videos have long provided a visual backdrop for some of music’s

With its future already unclear due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nashville’s famed rock venue the Exit/In is now up for sale. In its 50th year of operation, Exit/In has served as a popular concert destination for Music City, hosting national touring acts including Talking Heads, R.E.M., and Lucinda Williams, as well as homegrown artists from

Hailey Whitters teams up with one of her childhood idols, Trisha Yearwood, on her new song “How Far Can It Go?” Whitters opens the summery song, reminiscent of Yearwood’s signature hit “She’s in Love With the Boy,” before the country icon takes over on the second verse. Their voices join together on the chorus as

Kenny Chesney is grieving the loss of a friend of 15 years. A helicopter pilot named Maria Rodriguez was among those killed in a crash on the Virgin Islands, the singer says. The crash on St. Thomas took multiple lives, including that of Rodriguez, a woman the country singer called a dear friend. “I have

Priscilla Presley has downsized considerably with the purchase of her new California condo, but she sure hasn’t given up any luxuries. The actress, businesswoman and former wife of Elvis Presley has sold her lavish mansion and moved to a splendid condo, and pictures show that she won’t lack any of the top-notch amenities she’s been

Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. (Check out last week’s best songs.) Tiera featuring Breland, “Miles” Singer-songwriter

Lanco‘s latest release, “Near Mrs.,” is a rock-inflected look back at the love interests who were almost — but not quite — the one. Though those relationships ultimately ended in heartbreak, it’s not a sad song. On the contrary, the narrator offers gratitude for the lessons learned from each one, and traces how each “Near Mrs.”

After a largely virtual season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are back in the studio for the TV singing competitions 19th season. They’ll be practicing social distancing as they audition hopefuls in only three California cities, rather than making their usual national rounds,but as Perry dramatically put it during Sunday

Can you imagine turning down some of country music’s most well-known names for a spot in a singing competition? That’s exactly what the crew of American Idol did — more than once, too. Awkward! The popular TV show might be known for turning out superstars including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery, but those involved with American Idol also said

Singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd is joined by his wife, country star Maren Morris, on the smoldering new duet “Chasing After You,” released on Friday. It is Hurd’s first release since putting out the EOM EP, which featured his single “Every Other Memory,” in 2020. Penned by Brinley Addington and Jerry Flowers, “Chasing After You” chronicles the

Blake Shelton is keeping it all in the (soon-to-be) family with his newest music video. The clip for the country singer’s hard-times love song “Minimum Wage” was directed by Todd Stefani, who just so happens to be the youngest brother of fellow artist Gwen Stefani, Shelton’s fiancée. The video’s sure to have Shelton fans missing in-person

Thirty-six years ago today (Feb. 14, 1985) was a Valentine’s Day to remember for Randy Travis: It was on that date that the singer inked his record deal with Warner Bros. Records, only two weeks after recording what became his first single, “On the Other Hand.” Travis had already been rejected by every label in

Fifty-four years ago today, on Feb. 13, 1967, Dolly Parton‘s debut album, appropriately titled, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released. The then-21-year-old Parton wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on the record, including two of its singles: “I Wasted My Tears,” which failed to chart, and “Something Fishy,” which landed in the Top 20. Curly Putman

First, there were the drafts of tweets that went unsent. Then there were the profanity-laced text messages to trusted friends. Finally, there were nerve-calming cooking videos on YouTube. Making some sense of the sadness and confusion I felt in the wake of the Morgan Wallen video took time. The disappointing revelation that country’s hottest new

Kameron Marlowe follows in the musical footsteps of fellow North Carolina native Luke Combs with his debut single, “Sober as a Drunk.” The song’s traditional country leanings, clever wordplay and barrel-chested baritone vocals all hearken back to Combs’ early hits — but Marlowe is rapidly proving his determination to leave his mark on country music, on his

Nineteen years ago today (Feb. 13, 2002) was a sad day in country music: It was on that date that Waylon Jennings died, from complications from diabetes. He was 64 years old. Jennings was born near Littlefield, Texas, and inherited his love of music from his mother. When he was eight years old, he began playing the guitar,

Kathy Mattea and her songwriter husband Jon Vezner owe their first meeting to a dead car battery. “Kathy lived upstairs at Wrensong, the publisher I used to write at,” Vezner tells The Boot. “I’d see her in the hallway from time to time. One morning I overheard her battery was dead, so I jumped her —

In 1984, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias teamed up for a duet that bridged country music with Latin balladry: “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” recorded for Iglesias’ album 1100 Bel Air Place became a hit on the country, Spanish, and all-genre charts, and a milestone in Nelson’s long list of collaborations. For the